LASIK

Dr Krap in operation room lasik eye surgery

What is LASIK?

LASIK is a common and popular, FDA-approved outpatient procedure for patients who wish to reduce their use of contact lenses and glasses. At Miramar Eye Institute, board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Kenneth Karp is one of the most experienced refractive surgeons in South Florida, having performed over 25,000 laser vision correction procedures. As a LasikPlus surgeon, Dr. Karp performs entirely bladeless, custom LASIK procedures. If you’re interested in receiving cutting-edge bladeless LASIK treatment for your nearsightedness, farsightedness, or other conditions, we encourage you to book a free LASIK consultation with Dr. Karp now.

How Does Bladeless LASIK Work?

Bladeless LASIK is performed in two separate phases: flap creation and corneal reshaping.

Bladeless LASIK surgery involves using two lasers.  The first laser is a femtosecond laser, which creates a flap using beams of cool laser light as compared to a blade in traditional LASIK surgery.  The bladeless method of flap creation results in better visual outcomes and a quicker recovery for the patient.

After the flap is created, the corneal reshaping phase takes place. This phase involves using an excimer laser, which produces a cold ultraviolet beam of light to remove tiny molecules of tissue and reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Our advanced wavefront technology allows the laser to reshape each patient’s cornea with personalized accuracy and precision. Corneal reshaping typically only takes a few seconds to complete, after which patients can experience better vision nearly immediately.

What is PRK?

Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK) is an alternative treatment for patients who may not be a candidate for bladeless LASIK surgery. PRK is a surface ablation treatment that may be safer for some patients who have thin or abnormal corneas.  Our PRK procedures use the same customized wavefront technology to reshape the cornea, only the approach is slightly different than Lasik as there will be no flap created. The healing of the surface of the eye takes a bit longer than LASIK, but the same quality of vision will be achieved using the precision of our customized measurements. To learn more about whether PRK is right for you, we encourage you to contact us.

Benefits of Bladeless LASIK

There are many benefits of receiving bladeless LASIK treatment with the professionals at Miramar Eye Institute, including:

  • Better visual outcomes
  • Quicker patient recovery
  • Allows those with thinner corneas to qualify for LASIK surgery
  • Allows our surgeons to personalize your procedure

At Miramar Eye Institute, we are proud to use the iDESIGN Refractive Studio for our bladeless LASIK procedures. This advanced technology allows our provider to provide you with a completely tailored LASIK experience, ensuring you receive the highest-quality outcomes for your procedure.

LASIK with iDesign

Before your LASIK procedure, customized measurements using the iDESIGN refractive studio are performed. The iDESIGN Refractive Studio uses Wavefront technology to measure how light travels inside your eye, detailing all the imperfections in your vision, and is integrated with corneal measurements to analyze every tiny variation in curvature and elevation of the surface of your eye. These two measurements create a completely personalized treatment plan for each patient. The iDESIGN takes more than 1,200 measurements of your eye within just 3 seconds and is 25 times more precise than conventional measurements.

To prepare you for treatment, you will be asked to lie down, and our professionals will provide you with medicated eye drops to numb the surface of the eyes. While these drops will eliminate pain, feeling some pressure throughout your treatment is normal. Your non-treated eye will be covered with a patch. You will then be positioned under the microscope and your treated eye will be held open with an eyelid holder. This may be mildly uncomfortable, but we assure you it is not painful.

Once in position, Dr. Kenneth Karp will then perform the two phases of your LASIK procedure. During the first part, you will be placed under our Intralase iFS laser to assist in the creation of the flap. In the second part you will be placed under the second laser, where you will be asked to focus on a flashing-colored light as the laser gently alters the curvature of your eye.

Once the procedure is complete, you’ll immediately notice the difference in your vision. Over a few hours, you will start to see more clearly, and within a day, you will see and feel enough to resume normal activity.

 

LASIK Post-Treatment

Immediately following your treatment, we will provide you with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory eye drops. We may also provide you with protective eyewear to wear for the remainder of the day. We ask all of our patients to go directly home following treatment and to keep the eyes closed for up to four hours. This is to reduce inflammation and discomfort.

After these four hours, we ask our patients to remove their protective eyewear and use their medicated eye drops. We also ask that our patients use artificial tears four times per day for at least one month following their treatment, regardless if they feel the need to use them or not.

It is important to note:

  • Burning typically occurs during the first hour of treatment, and your eyes may feel sandy or scratchy. DO NOT RUB YOUR EYES.
  • Watering and tearing is normal within the first few days following treatment.
  • Swelling and blurriness is normal for the first 48 – 72 hours and will gradually clear.
  • During your first week after treatment, you may experience glaring or “ghosting.” This is normal and typically improves with time.
  • You may be sensitive to light for the first few days following treatment. Please use sunglasses or other protective eyewear as you see fit.

Top LASIK Eye Doctor in Miramar, FL

Since 2003, Dr. Kenneth Karp at Miramar Eye Institute in South Florida has been performing LASIK and PRK laser vision correction surgeries. For the highest quality medical eye care in South Florida, call Miramar Eye Institute at (954) 437-4316. You can also simply request an appointment now.